1. Field of the Invention PA1 using a terminal equipment unit of the network, information is inquired, via the network, of another terminal equipment connected to the network by means of a query message including at least a reply address; PA1 that the terminal equipment that is the target of the query generates a message containing data previously stored therein by the user of said equipment; PA1 and that the information is transmitted to the reply address automatically via the message switching service of the network.
The present invention relates to a method for relaying information in an integrated services network, in which network a message switching service is operated between terminal equipment connected to the network.
2. Description of the Related Art
The type of telephone and data networks are currently use and those presently being designed are digital integrated services networks and normally support both audio communication and digital signal processing. Integrated services networks, as understood in the present context, are networks wherein access to both sound (audio) and digital signal communication channels can be established using basic terminal equipment. Different services can thus be provided which take advantage of this division between digital signal and audio communication channels.
Recent land mobile networks, such as the GSM network designed for Europe, operates in the 900 MHz range. The CMS88 mobile phone system is designed for the United. Both these systems have communication modes digital TMDA. Such networks provide high quality speech signal as well for the capability of transfer and intermediate storage of data on data channels of different types and different rates.
In addition to handling subscriber traffic, a mobile phone system needs an efficient data transmission service to handle diversifying forms of service and complex signalling therein. Thus for instance short message service (SMS) for example, is such a service and can be included in the above networks. A short message service center (SC) is a part of this service and provides receiving and transmitting of messages in digital form one the basis of the so-called "store-and-forward" principle, from one mobile phone to another mobile phone. Signal processing is possible simultaneously with another because short messages are transmitted, as in an integrated services network for instance, over the signalling channel of the GSM network and, not a voice channel.
A corresponding message switching service is also possible in a digital ISDN telephone network as defined by the CCITT, which has both voice channels and signal channels.
The purpose of message switching is to improve the accessibility of terminal equipment subscribers. The specifications for short message transmission in the GSM network, such as GSM 03.40 do not bring about an interface between the MSC and the SC, the structure of the SC, or the different forms of the actual use of the short message service. The communication between the MSC and the SC can instead be realized for instance using an X.25-based packet switching network. In connection there a short message is provided having an effective length of 140 bytes (8 bits).
Furthermore, short message services divided into mobile terminated (MT) services, mobile originated (MO) services, and cell broadcast (CB) services. In cell broadcast service, a message is transmitted in the area of one or more cells to all mobile phones in that area.